In the world we live in today, religion is an extremely vibrant factor, not only in the environment surrounding us but with the people we interact with as well. In Ernest J. Gaines' novel, A Lesson Before Dying, it is easy to see how religion impacts the community. In a small community such as this novel depicts, religion is the driving force behind nearly every decision made in the story and can be justified solely on the individual's values.

It is interesting to view religion as the most visible consistency in the novel when the main character, Grant Wiggins, is himself an atheist. Although he himself does not believe in things such as heaven or hell he is still impacted upon by the community around him. Grant, an educated man, has returned to his home town after attending college with aspirations of teaching children. At the same time...